Refrigerator car



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 O.LUHR

REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed May lO. 1926 NN SWW nur,...

Sept. -0, 1927.

QQ @www l 1,642,882 sept. zo, 1927. ,Q UHR REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed May lO, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 sep-t. 2o, 1927. o. LUHR REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed May lO, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. Z0, 1927.

f STATES OTTO LUI-IR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

Application filed May 10,

|The invention relates to rail road cars, and more especially to cars commonly known as refrigerator cars.

rlhe object of the invention is to provide a car having a refrigerating mechanism attached thereto and adapted to keep the temperature in the car substantially at a predetermined degree of temperature whether the car be in transit or at stand still.

1o Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator car having a siutable compressor attached thereto on any suitable place on the car, for instance on the under side of the under-frame of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator car the bulk heads -.vhereof containing the refrigeratmg coils will occupy a relatively small space leaving ample room for the freight to beloaded in itc the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a car having condenser coils or pi )es arranged on the outside of the car, pre erab-ly on top of the car, whereby the heat absorbed by the refrigerating medium may be carried od' by the draft produced by the movement of the car.

still further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator car the compressor te whereof is driven directly by one of the car wheels or car axles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator car, wherein the driving mechanism for the compressor is constantly in frictional contact with one of the wheels or axles of the car, regardless if the car travels on a straight track or on a curve.

Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned will be evident from the following specification. v

rlhe accompanying drawings show an embodiment of the invention. It is however to be understood.i that the invention is not L the exact construction shown gsy and described in said ut that changes may be made changes fall inside the scope amended hereto.

o view of the car, apart of coils and the roof of the car orolien away. A

". 2 is a partial vertical longitudinal 3 is a partial top View of Fig. 2.

. is a vertical section showing the HElSSUl-:D

brine tank containing the refrigerating coil and some pipe connections thereof.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section through a bulli head of the car, and

F ig. 6 is a vertical cross section through the top portion of the car.

A compressor 6 'ofsuitable construction is fastened underneath the underframe 7 of the car. It is to be understood however, that the invention is not to be limited to this exact arrangement. The compressor 6 may be arranged on any suitable place'on the car and such arrangement would still be within the spirit and the scope of the invention. The compressor is driven by means of a flexible shaft 8 `iournaled atene end in the casing'of the compressor 6 and at its other end in abearing 9 fastened to the bolster 10 of the truck of the car. A friction wheel 11 is fastened to the end of the flexible 'shaft adjacent the bearing and is in permanent frictional Contact with a car wheel 12. This contact will not be interrupted, when the car travels around a curve, because the truck moves as an lintegral unit, and the/bearing 9 supporting the flexible shaft 8 is an integral part of the truck.

From lthe compressor 6 a pipe 13 leads to the condenser coils 14. These condenser coils 14 are shown as arranged on the top of the car and this is the preferred arrangement. It is however to be understood, that the invention is not to be limited to this specific arrangement of the condenser coils, but that the latter may be disposed at any suitable place on the car, as long as the draft produced by the travel of the car is enabled to come into contact with substantially the entire surface of the pipes formin the con denser. Preferably the pipe 13 leading from the compressor 6 to the condenser 14 is connected with the latter by means of connecting pipes 15. Said connecting pipes communicate with the pipe of the condenser located adjacent the y eak of the roof of the car, so that the con ensed refrigerating medium will iiow downwardly through the condenser pipes. rfhe lowest part of said condenser 14 communicates with a pipe `16,

which in turn is connected with a pipe 17 leading to a liquid receiver 18 located in one of the bulk heads of the car, as shown in Fig. 5.

A pipe 19 leads from the liquid receiver 18 to the lower end of the refrigerator coil 20, and from the upper or outlet end of 'this coil a pipe 21 leads to a connecting pipe 22 communicating with the compressor.

The refrigerator coil 2O is disposed in a brine tank 23. The usual refrigerator cars are provided with two bulk heads, and it is preferred to arrange one brine tank with a refrigerator coilltherein in each bulk head as shown in Fig. l. The tank 23 is not fullyas high as the refrigerating coil 20, so that the lower portion of the coil is surroundedv by a Weak brine solution, which Will'be l frozen at times solidly under the influence of the refrigerating medium contained in the coil. The upper portion of the coil extends upwardlyuof the tank and will absorb 'heat directly from the air in the' car. In order l ,l to provide the biggest possible cooling surface for cooling the air in the car the wall of the brine tank is made of corrugated sheet metal, and in addition to that, an air shaft 24 is provided centrally of the-tank and eX- U i tending throughoutthe entire height of said tank. The coil 20 surrounds the wall of the from the car, from the top of this coil to the compressor 6 and from`there to the condenser coil 14, where it gives off all the heat absorbed from the air in the car and from the brinein the tanks 23to the open atmosphere, whereupon it returns in liquid state to the liquid receiver.

As long as the car is in motion, the re' frigerating medium Will be kept in circula#4 0 tion, thereby cooling the carand causing the brine in the tanks to freeze solid.

Should the car for one reasonor another be detached from the train and remainfor a. I' relatlve long period of time on a siding re- .45

mote from-a station. and any icing or stationary refrigerating facilities, the solid ice blocks formed by the brine Willkeep the car at-the desired temperature. l

by Letters Patent is:

In a refrigerator car of the class described the combination of a bulk head'forming a part of the car, a brine tank located in said bulk head, a central air shaft in said tank, a

refrigerator coil'a'rranged in the brine tank,v surrounding the air shaft and partiallyl extending outside of the tank, a compressor fastened on the outside ofthe car, a flexible shaft adapted vto drive the compressor, a' 60 bracket fastened to one "ofthe trucks of the car and supporting the free end of the ieX- ible shaft, a friction Wheelfastened to theA end ofthe shaft adjacent the bracket and in permanent` lfrictional cont-act with the running gear ofthe car, said compressorcommunicating with the outlet end of the r'efrigerating coil, a condenser located n top of the car and communicating with the-compressor, and a liquid receiver arranged ad- 7o -Jacent the brine tank and communicating with the intake end of the refrigerating coil and with the condenser.

- l In witness whereof I have affixed hereuntol oTTo LUHRQ my signature.

What I claim as new and desire to secure so' 

